Column: Firing O'Brien was right move

Published: Sunday, November 25, 2012 at 07:20 PM.

Debbie Yow made the right move.

Some will question it, but now it’s up to her to make it pay off.

In firing sixth-year N.C. State football coach Tom O’Brien after a 7-5 campaign and a fourth season in five years that will end in a bowl, the Wolfpack athletic director certainly invited criticism from some within her own fan base and likely many more who weren’t close to the situation.

But those who have watched the program closely over the past two years know that the production on the field simply hasn’t matched the talent or resources of N.C. State football.

Even in victories, the inconsistent level of play has made it clear the team wouldn’t even have its mostly mediocre record if it was in a major league other than the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Sure, O’Brien has two wins against Florida State and one against Clemson since the start of the 2010 season.

But for every landmark victory, the coach suffered countless other inexplicable losses.

In firing sixth-year N.C. State football coach Tom O’Brien after a 7-5 campaign and a fourth season in five years that will end in a bowl, the Wolfpack athletic director certainly invited criticism from some within her own fan base and likely many more who weren’t close to the situation.

But those who have watched the program closely over the past two years know that the production on the field simply hasn’t matched the talent or resources of N.C. State football.

Even in victories, the inconsistent level of play has made it clear the team wouldn’t even have its mostly mediocre record if it was in a major league other than the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Sure, O’Brien has two wins against Florida State and one against Clemson since the start of the 2010 season.

But for every landmark victory, the coach suffered countless other inexplicable losses.

In 2011, a flat performance in a loss at Wake Forest and a blowout defeat at Cincinnati early in the season gave way to a loss to 2-7 Boston College in November. Even more confusing were the 13-0 shutout of North Carolina and 37-13 win against No. 7 Clemson that preceded and followed the BC contest.

With this season came a 33-6 loss against Virginia on Nov. 3, just weeks before Yow decided to part ways with the former Boston College coach who was 40-35 (22-26 ACC) while leading the Pack. Losing to the 2-6 Cavaliers wasn’t as jarring as the appearance that the team was merely going through the motions in a methodical beatdown at the hands of the ACC’s worst team (at the time).

O’Brien in his fourth year seemed to shed the shackles of injury excuses in 2010 when quarterback Russell Wilson guided the team to a 9-4 season capped with a 23-7 Champs Sports Bowl win against West Virginia and a No. 25 final ranking. But even that year showed cautionary signs, such as losing a 17-0 lead against Virginia Tech and going 2-2 in November when a 3-1 mark would have clinched an ACC championship game berth.

O’Brien couldn’t move the Pack up even as the ACC seemingly got weaker by the year.

All told, with future NFL quarterbacks (Wilson and Mike Glennon) as his starter for all but two games his last five years, O’Brien averaged a 7-5 finish and only tallied one winning ACC mark (5-3 in 2010).

At the end of the day, that’s why Yow will be making her second major hire. Her first, men’s basketball coach Mark Gottfried, has reenergized a struggling program by infusing it with confidence and top-notch recruiting.

For all of his struggles, O’Brien left the program in much better shape than when he arrived following a 3-9 season under Chuck Amato in 2006. That alone should help Yow as she looks for a coach who shares her vision of N.C. State as a top-25 program — and also possesses the tools to make it a reality.

The Wolfpack rallied from a 16-0 halftime deficit to hand the Seminoles their only ACC loss. Redshirt senior quarterback Mike Glennonled a pair of touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, including three fourth-down conversions on the winning drive. The final conversion came on a 2-yard TD pass to Bryan Underwood with 16 seconds left.

N.C. State 37, No. 7 Clemson 13, Nov. 19, 2011

The Pack scored early and often while also holding down a high-flying Tiger offense that was missing receiver Sammy Watkins. Early turnovers set the tone, and N.C. State ended with four takeaways and no turnovers of its own.

N.C. State 41, No. 22 North Carolina 10, Nov. 22, 2008

Russell Wilson threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 50 more yards in his first of three wins against the Tar Heels, who turned it over six times. The victory made O’Brien 2-0 against the Tar Heels. His five straight wins against Carolina before a loss this season endeared him to fans.

Tom O’Brien’s 3 worst losses

Virginia 33, N.C. State 6, Nov. 3, 2012

A week after a last-second defeat at rival North Carolina, the Wolfpack didn’t put up a fight in this loss to the ACC’slast-place Cavaliers, who entered with a six-game losing streak. With a basketball exhibition game being played after the contest, the stadium was at least half empty by the end of this head-scratcher.

Boston College 14, N.C. State 10, Nov. 12, 2011

O’Brien’s former team collected its fourth win in its first five tries against him in an underwhelming effort by N.C. State. The loss appeared to end the Pack’s bowl hopes before consecutive wins against Clemson and Maryland secured a postseason spot.

Tennessee 35, N.C. State 21, Aug. 31, 2012

In a showcase game to start the season in Atlanta, the Wolfpack surrendered 16 points in a woeful 38-second stretch late in the first quarter. That turned a 7-6 lead into a 22-7 deficit and seemed to deflate N.C. State. Preseason All-America cornerback David Amersonwas beaten twice over the top in a game that turned out to be an omen for his and the team’s struggles this season.